"We can't play without baseballs," hollered Prospect coach Carlos Boles from his place in the third base coaching box.

Moments later, Joey Puccinelli hammered that point home. He lost one of the balls over the center field fence, and that quickly Boles was no longer concerned about missing baseballs.

J. Puccinelli's two-run homer proved the difference for Prospect in Friday's 2-0 Blossom Valley Athletic League Mt. Hamilton Division win over Willow Glen.

The two runs were all pitcher Kyle Bonvechio needed to nail down the mound win. The senior right-hander tossed a two-hit shutout, striking out seven along the way, to lead the Panthers to their first win of the league season.

Bonvechio was in control all afternoon. He threw just 84 pitches, 53 of them for strikes, in his rout-going performance. He tossed no more than 16 pitches in any inning, and retired the side on just five pitches in the fifth. He allowed only four baserunners—two on singles, one on a walk and another on an error—but never more than one in an inning, and only one advanced as far as second base.

Prospect hitters supported Bonvechio with only six hits, but the Puccinelli brothers put two of them back-to-back in the bottom of the second to account for all of the scoring.

Aaron Jacks lined out hard to first to open the second and T. Puccinelli followed with a single to left on a three-two pitch. J. Puccinelli watched two pitches out of the strike zone before he ripped a big fly to center to give the Panthers the 2-0 lead.

Prospect never really threatened again. Bonvechio doubled in the third and J. Puccinelli was hit by a pitch and moved up on passed ball in the fourth, but both were left stranded at second.

Steven Kong opened the game with a single to left, Casey Juull singled to left in the second and Jacks singled up the middle in the sixth to round out the bat attack for Prospect.

The Panthers made a few sharp defensive plays to support Bonvechio in the field. Juull, Kong and Jacks turned a 6-4-3 doubleplay in the sixth and J. Puccinelli made a barehanded stab of a slow roller in the fourth, gunning down the runner at first.

Prospect had lost 7-5 to Santa Teresa to open the week. Bonvechio had two hits and knocked in a run for the Panthers and Jacks ripped a run-scoring double. Greg Ramirez also singled and T. Puccinelli drove in a run.

The Saints scored a run in the first to take the early lead. The Panthers rallied for three in the fourth to go up 3-1, but Santa Teresa answered with six in the bottom of the frame to move in front 7-3. Prospect rallied for two in the fifth, but could get no closer.

Warriors roll

Westmont pushed its record to 5-1 in the Santa Teresa Division with a split last week. The Warriors rolled over Pioneer 14-6, but then lost 10-9 to Independence.

Mitch Monroe doubled twice and singled and Josh Herzbrun tripled and singled twice to lead a 16-hit attack for the Warriors. Monroe knocked in three runs for Westmont and Herzbrun drove home a pair.

Monroe was also the winning pitcher as the Warriors held Pioneer to just eight hits.

Ricky Meinhold cracked a pair of doubles to drive in two runs in the win. Mike Gorski singled and doubled, Brandon Simon drove in two runs with a couple of hits, and Mike Sato and Ricky Weller had two hits apiece.

The clubs were locked in a 4-4 tie through four innings before the Warriors broke the game open with a nine-run rally in the fifth.

Monroe belted three doubles and Simon ripped a couple of two-baggers for Westmont. Weller doubled in a pair of runs and Herzbrun also doubled.


Falcons drop two

Saratoga dropped a pair of decisions in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League last week, losing 9-3 to Los Altos and 1-0 to Santa Clara.

Chris Hornberger threw a gem for the Falcons on Friday, but a solo homer in the seventh proved the difference in the 1-0 loss to the Bruins.

Earlier in the week, Brett Granum belted two hits, Hornberger doubled and Phil Spencer drove in two runs, but the Falcons lost 9-3 to Los Altos.